Ireland to play important role in advancing data protection regulation during EU presidency
Ireland to play important role in advancing data protection regulation during EU presidency
To coincide with Global Data Protection Day today, law firm Matheson hosted a seminar in Dublin with Irish Data Protection Commissioner Billy Hawkes.
Ireland is set to play an important role in advancing the new data protection regulation throughout the EU presidency, according to Hawkes.
The regulation, which is particularly relevant to foreign multinationals operating in and through Ireland, will come to a crucial point during the presidency and the Irish Government is preparing to play a significant part in its progression.
The proposed new data protection regulation aims to strengthen and harmonise existing data protection law across the EU in order to ensure more transparency on information being collected, as well as an individual’s right to protection of personal data.
EU policymakers are seeking to reach agreement on new laws later this year and companies will have to begin complying with the new set of rules as early as 2015.
The legislation is being welcomed from many quarters, in particular from businesses operating in different EU member states.
“The aim of Global Data Protection Day, which was launched by the Council of Europe in 2006, is to give European citizens the opportunity to understand what their rights are with respect to the processing of their personal data as well as highlighting for data controllers and processors the risks inherent in any unfair processing of personal data,” said Hawkes.
The seminar also covered related topics such as the use of binding corporate rules and model clauses for overseas transfers of personal data and legal issues related to cloud computing.